Manual Extraction
Manual extraction is a data processing technique where data is collected, transformed, or moved from one source to another through human intervention rather than automated scripts or tools. It typically involves tasks like copying data from documents, spreadsheets, or web pages into a target system, often using basic software like Excel or text editors. This approach is common in scenarios where data is unstructured, infrequently updated, or requires human judgment for interpretation.
Developers should learn manual extraction for handling ad-hoc data tasks, prototyping data pipelines, or dealing with legacy systems where automation is impractical. It's useful in data migration projects, small-scale data cleaning, or when working with non-digital sources like scanned documents, where automated tools might fail. However, it's generally recommended as a temporary solution due to its inefficiency and error-proneness compared to automated methods.